Abandoned 5-Year-Old Carries Toddler in Extreme Cold After Adult Allegedly Left Them in Home
A 5-year-old child carried a toddler for half a mile in below-zero temperatures after they were allegedly abandoned in a remote Alaska home, state troopers said Friday.
On Dec. 3, Alaska State Troopers were dispatched to the small village of Venetie when after receiving alerts that two children had arrived at a neighbor’s house and were suffering from cold-related injuries, according to a news release from authorities.
The older child had became nervous when the power went out in the home, prompting him to carry the 18-month-old to another while, while dressed only in light clothing and socks, authorities said. At the time, the temperature in Venetie — a village of about 175 people — was 31 degrees below zero.
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Troopers arrived via aircraft to the village to check on the situation. It is unclear how long the children were left alone in the home, Fox News reported.
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According to Anchorage Daily News, Ken Marsh, a spokesman from the Alaska State Troopers, said that the nature or extent of children’s injuries were not immediately known.
Alaska State Troopers did not immediately reply to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Upon investigation, authorities identified Julie Peter, 37, as the adult who allegedly left the two children home alone, although her relationship to the children remains unknown, according to the release. She was arrested on one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor in the First Degree.
She was booked into the Fairbanks Correctional Center on the charge, and remained jailed as of Friday, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
